At Dawn, in the Forest

Chapter 31

Dawn snapped her head up, making eye contact with Aiden. She stood there in shock. Slowly her body filled with relief seeing her mate after all that time. Her anger faded away. Even in her wolf form, a tear escaped from her eye. Dawn noticed how she wanted to shift back to her human form and fall to her knees, grateful the torture finally ended. Exhaustion crept into her limps, her paws were buckling and wobbling.

A grunt put Dawn, however, on full alert again. It was Draven. He tried to escape from under Dawn's stance. The werewolf didn't think twice and snapped her jaws at the CEO, making Draven shriek.

Aiden carefully stepped forward and held a hand out. "Dawn? We will take care of him. We will put him into custody. You have done great so far. Come to me, darling."

Dawn looked at Aiden and then faced Draven again. She felt conflicted. This might be her only chance to kill one of these wicked bastards herself.

"Come to me," Aiden repeatedly whispered.

Dawn's body acted on its own as she slowly crept forward to her mate. It was when her snout made contact with Aiden, that four warriors ran around the couple and cuffed Draven. Dawn put her full face into Aiden's chest and he petted her in the most loving way. Dawn's body gradually started to change into her human form, staying glued to Aiden.

After a couple of seconds, Aiden held her fully to his chest as Dawn was shivering and trembling from trauma and shock. He caressed her hair and spoke softly sweet-nothings to her. "You are safe, you are safe," Aiden repeated often.

Then everything went black to Dawn.

***

Dawn woke up to the sounds of beeping machines and soft whispers. With a gasp she sat right up when she fully regained consciousness, afraid she was back in that horrible place. Her eyes were wide and her breathing erratic, sweat trickled down her forehead and back.

"Dawn, Dawn, you are safe," She heard her mate say to her. Hesitantly she turned her face around and was met by Aiden's eyes. "You are safe," He repeated.

Tears welled up in her eyes and she flung her arms around Aiden's neck, crying her heart out. "I thought I lost you!" She managed to say between her cries. "I thought- I thought-"

"I know," Aiden shushed her gently, trying to calm her down. "I know."

The couple stayed there for a while, the medical staff left the room.

When Dawn was at ease, the medical staff of the Moon Valley Pack started to check up on her. She had been transported to their hospital as it was better equipped and seeing Dawn's history nobody wanted to take any risks.

Aiden never left her side, not this time. He was fully on guard and whenever he heard even the faintest grunt of pain coming from Dawn caused by the examinations he growled loudly. He didn't care if he was rude. He only had eyes for Dawn.

After the examinations the medical staff concluded that Dawn was in good health, the only thing that worried them was her exhaustion. Dawn seemed to be sleeping almost twenty hours a day, which was too much for the state of health her body was in.

Nobody knew why. Dawn tried to give them every piece of information she could give from her time there, but it didn't lead to any explanations.

Everyone was in a slight state of panic.

After two weeks, however, Dawn slept less with each passing day. She walked around more, getting her exercise and her eating pattern improved greatly.

After a month of her release, she was in top shape again and everyone visited her. Her parents, brothers, Sarah, Aiden's parents, and the Alpha's of the Redwood Pack. Everybody was glad Dawn had made it somehow through everything. And then, when she was in tip top shape, Dawn was invited to Alpha Mateo's office.